NHL lockout: Sidney Crosby taking part in Tuesday meeting

The urgency to end the NHL lockout and save at least some of the regular season is reaching its breaking point, and in an effort to move along negotiations Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby and a handful of players are meeting with a small group of NHL owners Tuesday, according to Josh Yohe of the Pittsburgh Times-Review.

Penguins co-owner Ron Burkle will be at the meeting, while NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman or NHLPA executive director Don Fehr surprisingly will not.

This tactic of using a small group of players and owners to talk about the financial issues and player contracting disputes, which are stopping the lockout from ending, has yet to be used.

Crosby and Burke have a solid relationship and the thought, writes Yohe, is that the Pens' owner feels saving the season is what's best for the team.

All games through Dec. 14, including the annual Winter Classic and All-Star Game, have been cancelled. The lockout is now 78 days old.